archaeology
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Volunteers working on clearing weeds in the River Kennet in the attractive Wiltshire town of Marlborough recently got a big surprise. A large lump of masonry was shifted from its position on the river-bed and they found themselves gazing into the weed-draped, grinning countenance of a stylised medieval lion! The lion is believed to have…
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I have come upon this site which tells of forthcoming new attractions at Leicester’s museums. From it I have taken the following extract: “….The city’s King Richard III Visitor Centre is also in line for investment, with a new immersive experience forming part of the story told at the award-winning attraction…. “….Later this year, visitors will…
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There have been “animations” of Richard before, and mock-ups of what he actually looked like, but I have to admit that this one is the best so far. We’re so accustomed to the “reconstruction” made from the exact dimensions of his skull, but there is no life in it, if you know what I mean.…
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I recently complained that this article , which apparently contained references to Richard III, was hidden from my British eyes because of something to do with the European Economic Area (EEA). Then a good friend from the Netherlands was kind enough to send me the complete content. The hidden article concerned the wartime reminiscences of…
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“….Transworld has landed a ‘myth-busting’ book about DNA by Professor Turi King, best known for her work identifying Richard III from the remains discovered under a Leicester city car park….” If publishers are snapping up this book, titled DNA: Why Genetics Matters, (thankyou a commenter below for finding the title) which is due out…
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This link reveals an interesting account of about the discovery and archaeology of Richard’s original resting place in Leicester, and the modern techniques used to find out all that could be learned. I confess I was a little dismayed to hear the Blue Boar described as a “coaching inn”. Really? In 1485? I hoped…
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We now know a lot about Henry V’s Holighost, Henry VIII’s Mary Rose and the Kingmaker’s “Newport ship“, as well as the Boyne’s mediaeval log boats. Now there is evidence of a much later find, also in Ireland. The SS (HMS) Laurentic was a White Star liner and sister to the Titanic, sunk by two…
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Almost six years ago now, it was confirmed that the remains identified under a car park in Leicester were those of Richard III. One of the principal components of this identification was that the remains shared the mtDNA of Michael Ibsen, a maternal line relative traced by John Ashdown-Hill, as was Wendy Duldig by the…
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This BBC article explains how a Californian follower on Twitter solved the case of an inscription on a mediaeval silver seal matrix. The wording on the rim is almost certainly Declina a Malo et fac bonum (“decline from evil and do good”) from Psalm 36:27 (ie 37 nowadays).
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I like to read a good review, and here is one about Mike Ingram‘s book Richard III and the Battle of Bosworth. There is no point in reviewing the review, so I’ll just say that after reading this one you’ll know exactly what you’ll get if you purchase the book. No, it doesn’t contain…
The New Murrey and Blue blog 